The CAHPS Clinician & Group Surveys (CG-CAHPS) ask patients about their recent experiences with clinicians and their staff. It is a standardized questionnaire, with optional supplemental items, developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
What does the survey include?
Multiple versions of the CG-CAHPS survey are available to meet different needs, all aiming to evaluate the patient’s overall experience. Although there are optional supplemental items, the core questions measure the following:
- Timeliness of appointment and care
- Provider’s communication with the patient
- Helpfulness and courtesy of the office staff
- Patient’s overall rating of the provider
When will CG-CAHPS be tied to Medicare reimbursement?
Based on our experience and insight, physician practices should expect to have a portion of reimbursement tied to CG-CAHPS participation and performance as early as the next 12-18 months.
If CG-CAHPS isn’t mandatory, why should I start now?
- Results show that early adopters’ scores tend to be higher than late adopters
- Reduce the risk of decreased reimbursement
- Optimize scores and comments before they are publicized to potential patients
- Address under-performance immediately and efficiently
How is this relevant to my practice?
CG-CAHPS is relevant to your practice from both a financial and reputational standpoint. Once CG-CAHPS is mandated, a portion of your Medicare reimbursement will be withheld if you have not begun implementation. In addition, your practice’s scores and results will be publicly reported, so you will want to make sure your scores are favorable.
Do we have to use a vendor? Can we just do it ourselves?
Presently you may administer the survey yourself but we strongly recommend against this as proper surveying can be time consuming and expensive without effective tools and expertise. Staying current with evolving regulations and rules is a challenge as well with its own set of risks.
How is the reporting handled?
Once CG-CAHPS is mandated, all scores and results will be reported on Physician Compare. This website will be publicly available to all potential patients, who will easily be able to compare your practice side-by-side with local competition. Your vendor should handle all aspects of reporting for you and will deliver your results to CMS on your behalf. Currently, Medicare’s Hospital Compare is active and live, and we encourage you to spend some time on this website as it is exactly what you can expect in the future for quality information for providers.
Why should I choose Voyance as my CG-CAHPS vendor?
As an experienced and CMS-certified CAHPS vendor, we offer a unique surveying approach that you cannot find with any other vendor. Our H-CAHPS clients have the highest publicly reported scores in the U.S., and we expect the same results from our CG-CAHPS clients. Our proven approach will help improve your publicly reported scores, highlight areas of under-performance, and provide you with the tools to improve patient satisfaction and overall care.
Helpful Links
Physician Compare
Physician Compare Overview
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ)